The Lion King Hope Finds a Way
by The-Long-Feline
Summary: 2/3: After sometime away from the Pride Lands, Fuli insecurity strikes again, assuming Kion might cheat on her, but all of this is to change when she finds a cub, and bring her into their family. But a new threat shows itself to the Pride Lands, and it's up to Fuli and Kion to go undercover, and investigate the case further.
1. Chapter 1

Life in the wilderness away from the Pride Lands were difficult for Kiongozi and Fuli. There wasn't much to hunt and they were only two to help each other out. Fuli could defiantly feel that she hadn't the same strength as she used to. Even though she was exhausted she was determined to be the one who stood for the hunting, though Kion had offered his help in doing the work many times, but Fuli managed it somehow. She had caught up on two antelopes there were standing and grazing. She crept up on them and got ready to launch her attack, but her exhausted legs failed her. She stumbled and the antelopes quickly saw her and ran away. Fuli sighed and gave up catching another prey. She had to return empty handed to a disappointed lion.

"Got anything?" Kion asked, even though the answer was obvious. He was laying in the dirt looking all weakened

"No," she replied sadly. "My legs failed me, it's just so frustrating!" She hit the ground with her paw. Kion gave her a comforting smile.

"And it's not because you have done all the work every day?" Kion teased. "If this is going to work, Fuli, you will need to give me a chance as well. I maybe not be as fast as you, but you got to take a break sometimes," the lion added, pinching her chest.

"I know, Kion, it's just - I want to show that I actually deserves to be with you, by being a good girl and bring you food just like a lioness does," Fuli confessed.

"You don't have to be like a lioness, fool," Kion said comforting. "You're already exhausted. You need to relax," Kion added, hugging her. He noticed she looked embarrassed away. He knew that the cheetah didn't liked being called "weak" but she had to rest to gather strength. Then he decided to change subject that they both agreed in. "Look, I miss home too, Fuli. Even annoying Zuri and Tiifu," he said without thinking of how Fuli would interpretant his joke.

"Course," she sighed. She of course knew that she wasn't enough for the lion and needed other support from real lionesses. They would at least be able to grant him a family something she wasn't capable of and they were perfect bait because none of them had a mate and were madly horny for the lion.

"You rest now, fool. I'll be going out to see if I can catch something. Wish me luck," he teased.

"Good luck, fierce boy," she sighed as she saw the lion grinning at her and disappearing in the tall grass.

"How can you be so blind, fool," a voice said in Fuli's head. "He is not going to hunt. He is probably going out to find a proper girl."

"No, he would never," Fuli said to herself.

"That's what you think, dumb ass. You're letting yourself being fooled around again. He is letting you do the dirty work. He has no intention of hunting for food to you, he thinks you're weak because you can't be like the other lionesses and bring him food when he needs it. He is out there finding a real mate." The voice said.

"Stop!"

He has probably already established a new relationship without you even knowing," the voice continued. "And probably mating with the lucky one. Your fierce boy is ready to dump you whenever he wishes. Together he will start a family with the new one, and she will give birth to his cubs, something you will never be able to do."

"Shut up!" Fuli sobbed, but it was true. She had accepted to go with the lion knowing that it will be awhile before they could return to the Pride Lands, but Fuli was content with this until she realized that someone had to go hunting while the other rested. She felt lonely when it was her time to wait. She wanted to be more than just the two of them, and it wasn't the company of Kion's second mate who she would appreciate. No, she wanted to be the one to give birth to Kion's cubs, but how could she ever succeed with that? Yes, she had been foolish enough to be persuade by the hope that she might could have been pregnant, and the two of them did try it out, and after some weeks she had been suffering by symptoms of being much slower, but if they really had succeeded it must have been more obvious now. The only conclusion was that the embryo was dead inside of her and would never see the light. Fuli shed a tear and curled herself into a fur ball by the thought.

Evening felt over the savanna. Kion had returned, and had managed to catch two gazelles for dinner. Fuli was pleased to see his hunt was successful, but couldn't, pull the thought away that he might had been cheating on her, though it did not look like him to cheat on anyone. They ate their dinner, and afterwards Kion laid beside his her to fall asleep. Fuli on the other hand stayed still. The nasty thought of Kion cheating on her was still in her head, so she didn't feel like he deserved to feel her the same way she felt him. Instead she placed her head in the dirt to fall asleep, but the lion moved his large paw under her head, to have something soft to sleep on.

Next morning Fuli was out hunting again. She had convinced the lion that she was ready and not exhausted anymore. She tried very hard to forget about yesterday's thoughts, but the words were still in her mind. She didn't notice where she was going, until she heard someone crying. Her ears immediately got attracted by the new sound and followed the noise of the animal in distress. She had her body bend down in case she would be spotted by any unwanted predators. The noise became louder and Fuli came to a desolated place, but it wasn't completely desolated. Out on the field were a little cheetah cup curled together and cried. Fuli's eyes turned big. The cub seemed not to know that it was very stupid to cry while its mother was out hunting, especially for a defenseless cub. Fuli turned around and walked away until she stopped again. The cub was in danger if she continued to cry like that. There were no where to tell how long a cheetah hunt could take, and by the time the mother could be home the cheetah cub could be dead. "What am I doing?" She asked herself before turning around and headed back to the cub. She could at least watch over the cub until the mother returned. "Yes, by doing this you won't interact with the cub and might piss of the mother," she said to herself. But another problem was that Kion might begin to worry at the same time, and go looking for her. Fuli watched the cub from her hide in the long grass completely out of sight from the cub.

Hours passed by and the mother didn't seem to show up. If the mother didn't feed her soon, it would die of hunger. "Come on, where are you?" Fuli whispered.

"Who is there," the cub asked frightened.

Fuli was exposed. The cub had heard her. She could either run or confront the cub. She had to break her fright from interacting with the cub and face her. She sighed and walked out of her hide, towards the cub. The cub began to quiver in fear. She had some astonishing blue eyes.

"It's all right, I'm not here to hurt you, sweetie," Fuli assured. She could not believe she just used the word "sweetie". Who was she, it's mother or something? To Fuli's astonishment the cub ran towards her and nuzzled her body against Fuli's leg. Fuli had no idea how to act. Th cub of course wanted to be comforted but that was her mother's job not hers.

"Where is your mother?" she asked to cut to the chase.

"I don't know where my mommy is!" she cried.

"Isn't she out hunting?" Fuli asked out of curiosity.

"She left me on my own. She said I was strong enough to handle myself!" she whimpered.

Fuli laid herself down by the cub's side. "Did she just leave you all by yourself!" Fuli asked a bit puzzled. She couldn't believe what just came out of the cub's mouth. The cub was much younger than she was when she had to stand on her own paws. "For how long has she been away?"

"She left me yesterday," the cub sobbed. "I can't do this. I haven't even learned how to hunt."

Fuli face got filled with pity and anger. How could any mother leave their cub out in the wilderness all alone without learning how to defend themselves or hunt? She would die if she hadn't anyone to defend her or bring her food for that matter. Fuli had always envied Kion and Kiara for being a part of a loving family, but now Fuli had her chance to proof that she could also be a good and caring mother, but how could a cub that she didn't even know the name of get attached to her? Fuli looked down curiously at the cub that had curled herself into a fur ball into her fathom. Fuli gazed concerned out over the field. If this was true the cub would die unless she did something drastically. Fuli looked down on the cub, and then she gazed out over the field again. Then determined but nervous, she gave the cub a lick on the head and across the grey mane. She paused, but then continued her licking. She was official in the mode of transferring her smell over to the cub's so that she would be hers. The little cheetah cub began to purr by the gentle licks. She looked up at Fuli with a happy smile across her little face.

"What's your name, kiddo?" Fuli asked.

"My name is Tasha," she replied.

"Mine is Fuli," she replied.

"What are you?" the cub asked curiously and looked down and up the cheetah.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't got spots like my mother."

"Oh – eh, I'm a king cheetah," Fuli replied. "My spots look different than normal cheetah's."

Tasha continued to look at her curiously, with childish eyes.

"And are you-?" the cub asked.

"Am I what?"

"Fast?" Tasha asked. "Look just because I got dumped doesn't it mean I'm stupid."

"Oh, little one, you should know. I'm The Fastest," Fuli teased. "I know this is a bit too quick, Tasha, but would you like me to take care of you, because you seem to tell the truth. Your mom has been away for a long time and it doesn't look like she is coming back," Fuli said concerned.

"Y - you really want to be my new mom?" she asked.

"Hey kid, you don't seem to have any other cheetahs waiting in line to be your new mom," Fuli teased.

"I would love to," Tasha replied nuzzling her head against Fuli's chest. "Do you have any other cubs?"

Fuli took her jaw around the cub and swung her on to her back. "No, I don't. I can't have cubs with the one I'm together with," she replied.

"You stay together with one? I thought cheetahs didn't stay together. You should find another one, if you want cubs," Tasha cheekily replied.

"My boyfriend is not one I want to leave. I want to be with him even if he wants another," Fuli sighed.

"I believe he must be an excellent cheetah, if you want to be with him," Tasha said happily.

Fuli laughed and began to walk away. "He is not exactly a cheetah," she pridefully said.

000

Kion awaited Fuli's homecoming with distress. Fuli had been away for a very long time now. What if anything had happened to her? What if she was hurt? After all she was pregnant and needed to take care. He stopped going in circles when he saw movement in the grass and in the next second the cheetah came out of the tall grass with a satisfied smile across her face. Kion sighed in relief. Her girl had managed to come home safely though without anything to eat.

"Fuli? I have been worrying sick. Where did you go?" he asked concerned.

"I'm sorry, Kion," she sighed. "It's just - I found someone who needed to be taken care of."

"Who?" Kion asked perplexed.

Fuli smiled pridefully at him and turned her head and reached for something on her back. When she turned her head back again she had a cub hanging from her mouth, giving him a nervous smile. Kion's face went pale. Fuli had brought a cub home. Fuli's face looked exited but then turned worried. She had just given Kion a cub. It was what he wanted, right? But why did he then look so shocked. Fuli carefully placed the cub on the ground. "what's wrong, Kion," Fuli asked nervously.

"Fuli? Where did you find her? I really don't hope you stole her," Kion asked worried.

Fuli gave him a confused look and sat her bum in the ground. How could Kion accuse her for something like that? He knew that she wouldn't do anything desperate. She had just found a cub that they could raise together. Why wasn't he happy?

"I thought You wanted a cub, Kion?" Fuli asked embarrassed.

"I do, but you are already pregnant, Fuli. There is no need to find other cubs," Kion said. "You didn't steal her, right?"

Fuli looked sheepishly away. A tear came down her cheek.

Fool? What's wrong?" Kion asked concerned. He got over to the cheetah and pulled her in for a comforting hug.

Fuli sighed. "Kion, if I really were pregnant, it would at least have been visible by now. It's sometime ago that you discovered it, but I fear by now that – that," Fuli couldn't say the last word and instead broke into tears. "Oh Kion, I think the embryo is dead. I'm never going to be able to grant you a family," she cried.

Kion stroked a paw across the cheetah's back. "how can you be sure, Fuli?" Kion asked a little hurt.

"It's just something I know," she sobbed. "I should never have been so stupid to try and keep up the hope."

"I'm sorry, Fuli. Would you like me to listen to your belly and see if it's true?" he asked.

"No," Fuli sobbed. "I don't want the truth already. I had really hope that I could be the one, but it seems like you have to seek other females for that part."

"What are you taking about?" he asked concerned.

"It's just my stupid head that tells me your main goal is not looking for prey when you're out hunting, but lionesses to start a family with," Fuli confessed.

"Never cheat on you, babe," Kion said and kissed the cheetah on her forehead. He stroked his paw against her cheek and down her back mane. Fuli broke into tears again and snuggled her body into Kion warm chest. How foolish she had been. Kion would never do such things to her, she knew that. Kion stroked his paw up and down the cheetah's body, and Fuli began to purr by the gentle strokes.

"Now that's a sound I haven't heard you make in a long time," Kion teased.

Fuli looked up into Kion's eyes. Tears were still trickling down her cheeks. "I haven't had much to be happy about in a long time," she sobbed. "I know it's selfish, but I had just hoped for more out here with you. Without the patrols and troublemakers, there really isn't much to do."

"We got each other, sweetie, more I don't need," Kion said and nuzzled his head into Fuli's face. "You just wait and see with the cub."

Tasha watched the happy couple and faced that she would never be a part of their little family. No one wanted an orphan. Tasha began to walk away with her head bend down.

"Now where do you think you're going, young lady?" Kion asked. Kion pulled his jaw around Tasha's neck and placed her in Fuli's fathom. Kion gave her a loving lick, indicating that he, too, had accepted the little cub into their small family.

"So, what can I call you, little one?" Kion asked.

"T - Tasha," she answered nervously.

Fuli gave Tasha a lick and snuggled her close into her body.

"Well, welcome to our family, Tasha," Kion said while he looked pridefully at his new family.


	2. Chapter 2

The days went by, and the little family seemed to get along famously. Though there were another mouth to feed, it didn't mind Fuli at all. Her mood had been a lot happier with a little cub to take care of, though she still grieved to have lost the only part of Kion she will ever have inside of her.

She had even considered on starting Tasha's hunting lessons soon so she could learn how to hunt and take care of herself. Kion really treated Tasha like his precious little girl which was very heartwarming for Fuli and she thought to herself that things could only get easier from now on, though that was not the coincidence.

One day Fuli was out searching for food for her family, when her happy world was flipped upside down by a cry. She suddenly stopped when she heard the cry again. Someone was looking for someone. Fuli senses was caught on guard. She inflected her body down and sneaked her way towards the sound. It wasn't far from where she had found Tasha the first place. When she came close enough to see the mammal in destress her body froze in fear.

Fuli gazed on an adult cheetah that looked exactly like Tasha. She even had her blue eyes, and she was desperately calling for her. Fuli's stomach turned in disgust. She felt disgusted by herself. It was like a knife were stabbing her from the inside. She had stolen a cub from a mother, who had finally returned. How many desperate and despairing hours must she not have spent searching for the cub she had last time seen here? Though Tasha had told her that she left her on purpose, and Fuli believed her, but why did she had to be so foolish to actually believe she could keep Tasha. Of course, Tasha's mother would have come back at some point.

Fuli was ashamed of herself. How could she have been so dumb. How was she going to disentangle the problem? She could not just leave the cheetah in despair, she neither wanted to give up Tasha that easily. She had to face the cheetah even if it meant that she had to defend her case in keeping Tasha. She breathed in and faced her demon.

The brown cheetah saw movement in the tall grass and began to snarl at the trespasser. A yellow cheetah came out of the grass, not older than she. She was no ordinary cheetah. She didn't have spots, but more like a brown pattern all over her body. Her back head was adjusted with a black mane going down her back. She was none of the less than a king cheetah.

"Who are you? And why do you trespass on my territory," she snarled.

Fuli looked alarmed by already being snapped at. She didn't know where to start the conversation.

"I'm Fuli," she nervously said. "I heard your cry and thought-"

"Well I don't need your help, get lost, sister," the brown cheetah snapped.

"Look, I know where the cub you are searching for is."

The brown cheetah frowned at her. "I'm Mwoga. How do you know it's a cub I'm looking for?" the cheetah asked suspiciously.

"It's not very hard to see you are in desperate need, and it can only be a cub," Fuli said.

"Take me there at once, if you know the whereabouts of her," she commanded.

"It might be difficult for you to understand this-" Fuli began, but was snapped off by the cheetah.

"I don't care if she has been kidnapped. I'll do anything to get her back and apologize to her. Come on then, I'm not going to wait. Lead the way," she said rapidly.

"what do you mean by "Apologizing to her"?" Fuli asked.

"Nothing that concerns you."

Fuli opened her mouth to ask if it was true, she had left Tasha on purpose, but closed it, since it would expose her as the kidnapper. She led the way and both of them walked in silence, though Mwoga seemed anxious somehow. Mostly Fuli wanted to turn around, and lead Mwonga in a different direction away from Tasha, but Fuli was too noble to betray anyone. The walk became very awkward, and Fuli thought of something they could at least talk about, but no topic came to her mind.

When the two cheetahs arrived to Fuli's home, there were no sign of Kion, but a happy cheetah cub came running towards Fuli and twirled around her leg.

"Mom, you're home early," Tasha said happily and purred by the gentle contact with Fuli's leg. She greeted Tasha by giving her a wet lick across her body and hugged the girl like it was a perfectly normal to do in front of her real mom.

"Glad to see you too, sweetie," Fuli said. "Where is your father?" Fuli asked concerned. If he had gone it wasn't to hunt but something else that might threaten them.

"He smelled that some trespassers were coming to close and decided to scare them off, so that's why he isn't here. He said I should be on guard," Tasha said exited.

"I might need to have a word with him when he comes back," Fuli said. "I got someone who wants to see you," Fuli said rather unsure on what to do.

Tasha looked behind Fuli to see her real mom standing with mouth open.

"Mom" was the only thing Mwoga's brain could think of. The cheetah who had followed her to the whereabouts of her daughter were in fact her kidnapper, pretending to be Tasha's mother.

"You stole my cub!" Mwoga accused. "Your wicket bastard! Did you ever realized that a mother would come home to her, but instead to an empty nest!" Mwoga yelled into Fuli's face. Something that also shocked her was that Tasha did no longer smell of her, but instead she smelled like the cub stealing cheetah. "And you gave my cub your disgusting smell! You think she will still be yours after she smells like you, skunk!"

Tasha backed away from Mwoga, and hid herself under Fuli to protect her from her angry mother.

"I know you're mad on me for taking care of her, but you left Tasha alone out in the open with no protection," Fuli defended herself. "And worse thing is, she told me you did it on purpose, and you never taught her how to hunt!"

"I changed my mind, okay," Mwoga confessed. "I felt disgusted by myself the moment I left her."

"You abandoned her!" Fuli accused. "Just because you returned doesn't it mean you're qualified of being her mother again. I will not let you get away with her, just so you can make up for the past of being a terrible mother," Fuli said steely. "No matter if she is yours, I will be taking care of her from now on."

"This is not something you can decide!" Mwoga yelled back. "She is my cub, and no one is going to take her. Away from me. Get your own cubs. Tasha, you come with me right this instant."

Tasha came creeping out from her hideout. Her head was bend down, and her face was filled with sorrow. She didn't want to leave Fuli but how would her mom not react if she told the her the truth. She stopped between Fuli and Mwoga. She took a long glance at Fuli. Her face was beginning to tear up. She would lose the only cub she would ever have. Tasha then breathed in, and confessed to her mother.

"Actually mom, I will be staying here with Fuli. She needs me and I need her. She is not able to get cubs like you. Beside you can go and get some better cubs just like you always said to me when you were disappointed at me," Tasha said confidently.

"How dare you to go against your own mother! Mwoga yelled furiously. "She can get cubs too if she would keep her sticky paws off mine!"

"She is together with one she can't get cubs with. Therefore, I will stay here and be theirs," Tasha said refractorily.

"Then you should just find another cheetah, I don't even get why someone even still stays with you. It's not normal!" Mwoga yelled at Fuli not knowing that her words could hurt her.

Fuli turned her head away sheepishly. She knew what was up next. Her cheeks had gotten all red.

"She wouldn't find a better boyfriend than dad, and he is the bravest lion I know," Tasha said confidentially.

"You're mocking me," Mwoga mocked. "You're not together with a lion. That would be unnatural."

"He doesn't leave mom at all. Dad sticks with her and I'm happy to be a part of their family," Tasha said pridefully.

"But really, a lion? You could have seduced a cheetah to play around with instead of a stupid lion," Mwoga humiliated. "he must really be thick if he doesn't know the differences between a cheetah and a lioness."

"Look I love him-" Fuli began but was cut off by Mwoga.

"Cheetahs don't love, they mate and then we are left with the responsibility of raising the cubs, that's how the circle goes," Mwoga spat.

"Well then, it's on high time to learn how to love, don't you think?" Fuli asked. "You don't know how wonderful the feeling is."

"I did three months ago, but know it's over," Mwoga spat.

"Look, mom. I love her like she loves me," Tasha said.

Mwoga was defeated. Course this new mother seemed to love Tasha more than she could ever learn to love her. She was a much better mom than her. "If it how you're feeling, I won't stand in your way," she said in defeat.

"Now that's precious," said a new voice.

Everyone turned their heads towards the voice. A skinny lioness with fluffy hair and blue eyes had sneaked in on their conversation. Fuli quickly went in front of Tasha and began snarling at the lioness. "Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"You don't remember me? That hurts my feelings," the lioness said. "You once pinned me down."

"I have pinned many enemies down, but I don't recall doing it to a lioness," Fuli snapped.

"I have looked forward to the meeting where are roads would cross again."

"Who are you?" Fuli asked again. The lioness looked familiar to her, but where had she seen her.

"I'm Vitani. I have waited in a long time to get another chance to beat you," the lioness confessed.

"You have nothing to do here, lioness," Mwoga hissed. She knew that if they took a fight against the lioness there would be little chances of success.

Vitani turned her attention towards the cheetah. "Now, I don't know who you are but back away. This is business between me and her, so get lost," Vitani growled at the cheetah.

"She has my cub," Mwoga said.

"Now are you also a cub steeling mother, that's impressive," Vitani smiled diabolically. "I didn't think you could fall lower."

Fuli looked with hurt eyes at Mwoga. She had carelessly told the lioness their vulnerability. Tasha wasn't fast enough to run awa from the lioness, so there was no point in running away. They had to wait until Kion could take part in the fight. They both had to stand together even though they didn't like each other.

"Now I don't want to spoil the family love, but I have business to do with you," Vitani said carelessly.

"Go ahead, your dumb lioness! If I beat you once, I can do it again," Fuli hissed. "We are two against one."

"You think I'm so stupid to go after you first?" Vitani mocked. "Though it would be funny to see your pathetic body fighting me, but I think I'll go after something a bit more fun."

Vitani launched a claw after Tasha, but Fuli launched herself at Vitani and pinned her down. Mwoga looked amazed at Fuli, who protectively had pinned down the lioness just to protect Tasha even though she hadn't a chance against the lioness. This was the movement Vitani had waited for. She kicked Fuli off her and pinned her down instead. Vitani slashed and snapped at Fuli.

The cheetah protectively tried to kick away the lioness but no matter what the lioness stayed on top. Mwoga couldn't watch any longer, and took part in the fight. She scratched Vitani's body, but with one hit from Vitani's paw, Amara was pushed away.

"You stay away from my pray, you hear me!" Vitani growled. "Or it will be worst for yourself! Go away with your pathetic cub of yours and leave the two of us!"

Mwoga tried to come close to the lioness, but the lioness was very agile, and could still hold Fuli down with three paws even though Fuli did everything in her power to get Vitani of her. Fuli looked at Mwoga, trying to tell her something, but she didn't know what. Mwoga had to do the thing she was best at, and flee from the lost battle with Tasha. Mwoga turned around to face Tasha. "Come on, sweetie, time to go," Mwoga said carelessly if it didn't matter to her at all that Fuli were slowly dying behind her.

"No," Tasha said perplexed. "I'm not leaving her."

Mwoga looked madly at her cub and reached for her with her mouth but Tasha ran away into the fight, her cub was as good as dead. There were only one to save now, herself.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she ran away.

Vitani launched her jaw around Fuli's neck and began to squeeze. Fuli gasped after air. It was like her lungs was emptied with air and had to use all her power to stay awake from the immense pain, but the pressure was too much, and her eyes went blank, and her eyelids snapped in.

Vitani looked victoriously and opened her large jaw to do the final kill. Oh, how she had longed after this moment to see the defeated cheetah laying down and with only her being victorious. She was about to launch when Tasha ran in front of her. The little cub hissed at her like a mad cat, and got up on two paws, but before she could do anything more, Vitani smacked her paw into the cub with such power that she was toss away.

A loud roar erupted behind Vitani, and she turned around. Kion had finally returned, and looked furiously at the lioness for hurting Fuli and also their cub.

"Do that again, and you will be dead," Kion said fiercely. "Get down from her and leave our home at once."

"Kiongozi, so pleased to meet you again," Vitani said. "You are too late regarding your freak of a girlfriend."

"She is not a freak, Outlander," Kion roared. He launched himself at the lioness and pinned her down. "Now, fuck off, before I'm getting tempted to snap your neck."

Vitani tried to fight of the lion, but he was much heavier and stronger than her. She didn't have a chance against the stupid lion and would have to wait for another opportunity to take her revenge. "Fine," she said in defeat.

Kion released her grip around the lioness, and the lioness slowly crept away, though it was too slow for the lion, so he chased after the lioness making her run away. Then Kion focused his attention towards his family. "Tasha," the said worriedly.

He ran over to the brown cub that he barely could see between the grass. She was whimpering.

"Tasha? Are you hurt?" Kion asked while he comforted the cub by licking her gray mane.

"No, I'm fine," Tasha sobbed. "it's mom that's hurt."

Kion took the cub in his mouth and walked over to the fainted cheetah. He placed Tasha on top of Fuli's body and both of them tried to clean the large wounds she had got from the bite and the claws. The blood felt warm inside their mouths, but they didn't care if it was disgusting, they just had to clean it or else they might lose her, and none of them were ready for that.

The wound stopped bleeding and Kion laid his head against the cheetah's chest to hear how here heartbeat was. It seemed perfectly normal. Another check he wanted to make was if Fuli really spoke true if the little cub were already dead inside of her. Fuli had told him not to, but the chance was too good not to miss. He moved further down her body with his ear pressed to it. Kion pulled his ear away and had a surprised look on his face. Then he laid his ear down to hear if he had heard right. Instead of no heartbeat, there came sound from two heartbeats instead. He gave Fuli a lick on her nose in happiness, that she was wrong, and after all was going to give birth to his cubs. He then maneuvered the unconscious cheetah up on his back.

"Come on, Tasha," Kion said.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"If it's true that Vitani wanted revenge, and she didn't get her chance today, then it's clear she will try again, and by that time we are far away from here. We need to find another place to call our home if we want to survive," Kion explained. Tasha strolled after him and together they left their first home out on the savanna.


	3. Chapter 3

"Tasha you need to eat something. You can't just starve yourself."

Kion laid a gazelle in front of the little cheetah cub. Tasha just looked with big droopy eyes at her dad.

"I'm not hungry," she said droopily. It was all her fault that her mom now laid with a large wound on her neck. She felt so shameful for not helping her more than she did.

"Tasha, you mustn't blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault," Kion comforted. "You couldn't have done anything to prevent this. You stood up to her while your other mother fled, and that takes a whole lot of courage."

"But I didn't do anything helpful," Tasha sighed.

"You're still blaming yourself, girl. I also thought like you when I was in your age. If just I had done more or been there earlier, then I could have done better," Kion comforted. He gazed over at the king cheetah that were slumbering in the shadow of an acacia tree.

"But it is my fault!" she exclaimed. "If mom and mom hadn't fought for the ownership of me, they might had stand side by side and fought that bitch together."

"Easy kiddo, and don't say bitch. You know they both love you very much, so of course they wouldn't let you go that easy," Kion laughed.

Tasha looked more comforted by her dad's words but were still down in the mood, and even worse that her mother had fled to save her own life.

"Now go and play. I will see if I can get the sleep head to wake up," Kion teased.

Tasha wanted to stay but couldn't bear to hear the blaming words she would get from Fuli when she woke up. She gave Kion a little lick before she strolled off. Kion watched the small cub disappear in the long grass before he walked over to his love. He gently pushed her on her back, so he could look at the gorgeous cheetah's body. He stood above her, and began to lick her face.

The cheetah began to moan and move but was hold steady by Kion's grip.

"Stop it, Tasha," Fuli moaned. "It's not milk time yet."

Kion gave her a smile. "I'm not Tasha," he said.

Fuli opened her eyes slowly and was met by a smirking lion.

"Oh, Kion, I thought I was never going to see you again," Fuli sighed in relief. She pressed her nose against his and she could feel the warm breathing from his nostrils. "How is she? Is she hurt, did she get a scar? she asked worried.

"Don't worry, Fuli," Kion comforted. "You defended our little girl valiantly. No harm has come to her."

He leaned in closer and touched her lips with his. For a moment the cheetah forgot everything around her and just wanted the affectionally kiss to continue. She slowly laid herself back again while she was seduced by the lion.

"And where did you go, Kion?" Fuli asked after she broke the kiss. "Tasha said you chased of some trespassers.

Kion then became very shameful. His cheeks blushed. "I'm sorry, Fuli. I was running after some lions, and the old thrilling feeling just came back to me when we used to chase of enemies. I'm so sorry that I forgot the place where I was supposed to be at," Kion confessed.

Fuli leaned in and pressed her nose against his again.

"It's okay," she said while pulling the lion down to her body. Kion could feel himself heating up a bit and just stared at the pretty emerald eyes. He became very sheepish for a moment and didn't knew what the cheetah expected from him, so he asked instead. "Fuli, there is something I need to ask you about," Kion said in a concerned tone.

"What is it?" Fuli asked sounding not bothered at all.

"It's about Tasha. I was wondering, when she is older, will you then send her away to live on her own just like a real cheetah?" Kion asked concerned.

Fuli's ears went droopy.

Kion had hit a soft spot on her. She didn't know for how long Kion would want to be in the role of a father, but of course she had to take note of that at some point.

"Kion, I have always envied you and your sister for being a part of a loving and caring family. You ask if I want to shun our only child we will possibly ever get, I say to you I will never do such things," Fuli said in a hurt tone. "I want to give Tasha the family and love that I never got. And maybe when she is older she will leave us on herself."

Kion smiled. He had heard what he wanted to hear from the cheetah. He leaned in and licked her nose.

"Now come on, big boy. Let us have some fun," Fuli teased. She launched her claws down in the lion chest which made a loud roar erupt from his jaw. Kion rolled around, making Fuli being the one on top. She was grinning at him.

"What? Can't handle a cheetah?"

Kion took his paws around Fuli and pulled her down so their noses touched.

"It's you that can't handle a fierce lion like me," he teased and began giving the cheetah a bath. She as well began to lick the lion. For a moment everything was just about them, no cub to take care of, no enemies and no worries about the burnt smell. Hang on. Kion suddenly got the scent of something different than the cheetah's wet fur. For a moment he forgot that he was cuddling with her and was drawn attention by the smell of fire.

"hey, I'm not going to do all the work, you have to help too," Fuli said who also had stopped the licking.

"Can you smell that?" Kion asked. "It smells like something is burning."

Fuli raised her head to smell the air. She sniffed the air focused to find the smell Kion was talking about. She knew that Kion had a better tracking scent than she, but still she caught the smell of the burnt smell.

"Yeah, it does smell like fire," Fuli concluded. She looked around focused on finding a source, and in the far distance she could see small streams of smoke rise.

"Should we investigate it?" she asked.

"No, let us take a day off from work, I'm laying too comfortable with you," Kion said dreamingly.

Fuli looked disapprovingly at him. "Kion, Pride Lands or not. We still have to keep our new home safe and that fire is in the direction of the Pride Lands. Come on, big guy, we need to go," Fuli said in her sensible tone.

Kion gave her an annoyed look and reluctantly moved the cheetah and got up on his paws. Fuli gave him a grin and began to call for their cub.

"Tasha! Tasha!"

Tasha was out on the open savanna, trying to sneak up on a kid gazelle, when she heard a familiar voice call her name. It was her mother's soft voice and she giddily ran back to her home to find her mother laying in the grass, looking untroubled by the events.

"Mom! you are awake!" Tasha squealed of joy. She ran over to her mother and began to lick her neck.

"of course, I'm alive, sweetie. It's going to take more than one dumb lioness to take me down," she cockily replied to her daughter.

"Tasha, you will stay back here with mom while I investigate something," Kion said.

"Wow, wow, wow, where do you think you're going, big guy?" Fuli asked.

"Out looking for why the savanna is burning in the rain season," Kion replied.

"And why all of a sudden aren't we joining?" Fuli asked sternly.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Fuli. That's all. You just sit back and take care of Tasha while I'm out," Kion told.

"You surely can't give me orders, Kion. Yes, you might be my leader, but I'm not going to take care of Tasha while you play the hero. It's very sweet of you that you want to protect us, but you must have learned by now that it takes more than your orders to keep me behind," Fuli hissed.

"Fine," Kion said in defeat. "But this could be dangerous."

"Come on, girl. Time for your first duties," Fuli teased.

"Where are we going?" Tasha asked exited for their family trip.

"Near the Pride Lands, and we could move now if your lazy mom can get her bum of the ground," Kion teased.

Fuli gave him a teasing smile and got up on all four paws. Her jaw grabbed Tasha around the neck and pulled her up on her back.

"It's a long run Tasha, your legs would get tired," Fuli said. "Try and keep yourself steady back there."

Tasha nuzzled herself into Fuli's soft fur and began to purr. Kion stopped and reached for Tasha with his jaw. He swung her down from Fuli and sat her down in the grass.

"No, you don't. If you are going to be The Fastest one day, like your mother, you will need training," Kion said with a grin.

"Who's The Fastest?" Tasha asked curiously.

"It's your mother. She is the Fastest and I am The Fiercest in The Lion Guard," Kion replied.

"There is one thing you need to learn Tasha," said Fuli.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Till the Pride Lands' end," Fuli started.

Lion Guard defend," Kion finished.

When the family arrived near the burning savanna, they could see different animals in distress and running around trying to find their child and get them to safety. Kion uttered a phrase he hadn't used for a very long time. "Hevi kabisa."

"This doesn't seem like an act of nature, but more something that was set up," Fuli theorized. "You even said it yourself that it was odd a fire could start in the rain season."

"Who could have done something like this?" Kion asked disbelievingly.

Tasha came running under her breath behind them. She hadn't held one single break, she had just kept on running.

"We better get these mammals out of here before the fire spreads and close us in," Fuli said.

"You're right, honey. You go get the gazelles I'll get the wildebeests," Kion ordered.

"On it," Fuli said. "Tasha, stay close to me."

The two cheetahs ran towards the gazelles and was met with disbelief.

"Everyone, you'll need to get out of the place right now!" Fuli shouted.

"I can't find my kid," a female gazelle sobbed, completely in disbelief that a cheetah wanted to help them.

"Go, I'll find your kid," Fuli said.

The female gazelle looked disbelieving on her again before she looked on the mark the cheetah had, and then got convinced and ran with the others away. Fuli had to keep her promise and find the gazelle kid. If she couldn't take care of others kid, how was she going to managed it with her own? It was not just a promise, but a promise to help a mother in distress. She caught sight of a little gazelle kid standing traumatized at a burning tree. It had to be the lost gazelle kid.

The tree was beginning to fall, and would crush the little one. Fuli had to act quick. She ran as fast as she could and bumped into the gazelle kid, so it was pushed out of range and herself, before the tree fell. Fuli was gasping after air.

"Your mom, she's looking for you," she gasped. "That way."

The gazelle kid looked confused around and couldn't believe that a predator had saved it. It ran in the direction Fuli had pointed.

"Mom? Are you, all right?" Tasha asked.

"I'm fine, honey. I'm just a bit out of shape," Fuli said. The fire was beginning to spread, and the family had to get out of there before they were cooked. "Come on, Tasha, we have to get out of here," Fuli added and got up on her paws.

Kion came running down a hill towards his family.

"That should be everyone. Let's get home," Kion said.

Tasha though, wasn't ready to leave. She had found a stick that looked burned, and she was caring it around in her mouth like a treasure.

Tasha? Where did you get that?" Fuli asked.

"I found it, it's mine now," Tasha said pridefully.

"Tasha drop the stick at once," Fuli said. "I want you to be as light as possible when I carry you home."

"No!"

"Drop it."

"Fine."

Tasha spat the stick out and caught the scent of someone familiar. She stuck her nose further down to the stick. "Think we have found the culprit," Fuli said.

"What?"

"Kion, the stick stinks of Vitani's scent, but I don't see why she should do something like this. This is not exactly the Pride Lands, maybe it's a trap to lure someone in," Fuli wondered. "Maybe us!"

Kion frowned. "You think Vitani has already made a new plan to catch you?" Kion questioned. "It just seems too odd, Fuli."

"Don't you see, Kion, we are the Pride Lands defenders, she knows we are going to come to the aid. Just consider it," Fuli said.

"I don't know, Fuli. This just feels too grand for one, there must be something else, but what?" Kion questioned.

"Seems like we have to do some investigation," Fuli said. "We need to pay her a visit."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, we are not going near the Outlands in your state. It's too dangerous," Kion said.

Fuli opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment a pain went through her body. She fell down on her paws by the pain, but it was quickly over again.

"Fuli? Is there something wrong?" Kion asked worried.

"No, I'm fine," Fuli gasped.

"Is it the cubs?"

"Cubs?" Fuli questioned, wondered why he used plural instead of singular.

The lion moved his head under her belly and lifted her up from the ground.

"Kion please put me down," she commanded. "You make me look pathetic."

"Why?"

"Because I can walk on my own," she snapped. "Look, you're being really nice, Kion, but please let me still have some dignity."

Kion did as Fuli asked but still he supported her the way home.

Fuli didn't say a word to them, and when they returned home, she laid herself in the grass completely ignoring the existence of the two others. Tasha wanted to comfort her mother but Fuli ignored her licks. Kion gave her disappointed look, but kept his mouth shut. He went out to get some dinner for his family because he knew the cheetah would only get worse if she didn't get anything to eat. He came home with two gazelles and placed one in front of Tasha.

"Dad? Why is mom so moody?" she asked.

"I think she is considering that she might still be pregnant after all," Kion confessed. "It might has scared her to figure it first she was and then thinking she wasn't but when she still was."

Tasha did understand what her father meant. "But you knew she was yesterday. Did you tell her?" Tasha asked.

Her dad went red. "I – I – eh, never got the chance," the lion confessed. "But I heard two heartbeats."

"You should go tell her," Tasha suggested.

"I will. She will also need her part of the meal," the lion said.

He walked down to his love and placed the other gazelle in front of her.

"For you, my love," Kion teased. Fuli just looked away. "Come on, sweetheart. You have to eat something. It's for your own good, and the cubs."

Fuli still kept her mouth shut. She wasn't ready to talk about her being more worried than happy. Kion gave Fuli a disappointed look before he began to walk away.

"Cubs?"

"Pardon?" Kion asked and turned around.

"You said cubs, Kion. You used plural instead of singular. What is it you know that I don't?" she asked.

Kion sighed. "I listened to your belly yesterday when you had passed out. I heard to heartbeats," Kion confessed.

"And you wouldn't tell me that I still was pregnant!" Fuli snapped. She felt hurt that Kion had kept it a secret for her.

"You wouldn't listen to me if I said it anyway," Kion said.

"I would have felt a lot less worried to know I still was than finding out with stomach pains!" Fuli yelled.

"You knew that you were pregnant, fool," kion yelled back.

"I thought I had lost It - them before!" Fuli corrected herself. "You could at least have tried to say it to me," Fuli sobbed. "What am I going to do? I'm scared, Kion. I'm actually more worried than exited," she confessed. "I don't know what to expect when the cubs arrive. They could die in birth, I could die."

Kion came over to her and pulled her in for a hug. "Don't worry, babe. We figure this out together, you don't have to live with fear through your pregnancy," Kion comforted.

"It's not just that," the cheetah sighed. "You told me that I was going to return to the Pride Lands if I felt any stomach pains."

"Oh – eh, I forgot," the lion said, rubbing his mane. Fuli gave him some pleading eyes. "That means I'm not going to send you home. Besides, I want to be there to defend your case in front of my dad. He got no rights to be mad on you."

Fuli burst into tears and pressed her head against his chest. "I'm sorry I didn't believe in you or myself, I promise to be more confident."

"Like you used to be," the lion teased.

"Shut up," she sniggered and pulled the lion in for a kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

Kion were walking in circles while Fuli was giving their cub a bath. He wouldn't admit he was fearing what waited them and in Fuli's state, it would be highly dangerous for her to travel to the Outlands were Janja and the lions from the Outlands dwell. He had made up his mind that he would go alone while she and Tasha stayed behind. Then they would safe, though he knew Fuli would become absolutely piss on him. Fuli looked up. "Kion, why are you so worry," she asked, smiling at him. "it's just going to be like a normal day."

Kion stopped and breathed in. "Fuli, I don't want you to follow with me, stay here with Tasha."

Fuli slowly stopped the cub's bath and stared threateningly at the lion while licking her moth. "Why all of a sudden can't I and Tasha not follow you, on a dangerous adventure to the Outlands?" Fuli hissed.

"Because it's too dangerous, you got cubs on the way and Tasha," Kion pointed out.

"look, just because I'm the female her, doesn't mean I'm the one who's going to take care of them!" Fuli barked.

"I'm not leaving you with the responsibility."

"Well it sounds a lot like it!"

"Fuli, you're pregnant and we are heading towards Janja. Don't you see what danger that might come bringing you to him?" Kion pointed out.

"Honey, you will leave us in more danger if I stay here. Yes, Janja knows we have been together, but he is not our focus," Fuli spat. "Besides, we are staying at jasiri, it's not like we are going to find shelter there on our own."

"Fair point," Kion said in defeat. "Just promise me that you will take care and stay safe."

"I will, babe, I'm not defenseless," Fuli teased. "Tasha stop your milk drinking, we're going now."

Tasha stopped her sucking and began to whine. "But I'm not done yet."

"Tasha it's time to move. You're going to meet one of my friends and Kion's old girlfriend," she teased.

Kion blushed red. "She was never my girlfriend," he defended himself. "Just because we helped her a lot does it not mean I had a crush on her."

Fuli laughed and began to walk, giving Kion a kiss on the way. "You really are a lady killer."

The family arrived at the desolated Outlands that seemed abandon, but someone was watching them from above. The observer jumped down on a rock to get a better sight of the intruders.

"So where is your friend?" Tasha asked curiously.

"Right here," a voice answered. A female hyena landed in front of the family. "Buh, bet you got scared little one," Jasiri teased.

"Jasiri! It's so good to see you again, been a long time," Kion greeted.

"Yeah, it has been quite a long time since I have seen you, Kion. You have been busy, two ladies fighting for your affection," she teased. Kion went red. So, you two are together again?" she asked. "And you have been busy," she added while looking at Tasha running through and out of her legs. "Where did you find her?"

"we adopted her," Fuli confessed. "She had been abandoned by her mother.

"I'm Jasiri," she introduced herself to Tasha. Tasha nuzzled her head into Jasiri's messy fur and purred.

"She seems to like you," Fuli said, leaning her head down to the cub to lick it and Jasiri noticed the large wound she had on her neck.

"Goodness, Fuli, who gave you that?" she asked alarmed.

Fuli touched the wound. "Well, that's one of the reasons we are here."

"So, you're not here to pay me a friendly visit?" she asked.

"No, we are not, Jasiri. We are not planning to leave you until we have found evidence enough on something that occurred near the Pride Lands," Kion said in a business sort of manner.

"We had hoped we could stay with you for a while," Fuli confessed. "Beside we need one to take care of Tasha when we're out looking."

"I would love to have you around, and I'm sure that Tunu and Wema could keep Tasha preoccupied," Jasiri said happily. "but there might be a problem."

"What sort of problem?" Kion asked.

"Well Zira have gained a lot more power across the Outlands, and her pride has chased Janja's clan away, and they had nowhere to go, so I offered them to stay," Jasiri confessed.

Kion and Fuli's jaw dropped.

"You do realize that Janja has tried to kill you and us plenty of times. Recently he almost drowned me," Fuli hissed.

"I didn't know that," Jasiri said astonished.

"Well he followed me last time I visited you and he pushed me into the water. If it wasn't for Kion, I might be dead," she sighed.

"And that's a good enough reason why you turn around now, Fuli," Kion said demandingly.

"I'm not leaving you just because we have to share home with someone who wants us both dead," Fuli barked. "We are in this together!"

"I agree with Fuli, kion," Jasiri confessed. "She knows how to take care of herself."

"You don't know the truth why I want her to be safe, Jasiri," Kion said steely.

Jasiri was taken aback. "I know you want to keep her safe and your daughter, Kion, but I'm not letting Janja near you," she assured.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Fuli asked.

"Because he has changed, Fuli. He is not the same moron. He is slowly coming back to our side again. I promise I make sure he isn't going to harass you," Jasiri assured. She began to walk and lead the way through the narrowed roads.

"You didn't tell her," Kion whispered to Fuli.

"How was I? Janja is here so I want as few as possible now," Fuli whispered. "Besides, you almost spat it out."

When they arrived to Jasiri's watering hole Kion and Fuli almost got a heart attack. They stood frozen while looking out on biting, snapping and hissing hyenas from Janja's clan.

"You sure that Janja wouldn't try and take your place? He seems to still be very strong." Kion asked concerned.

"Kion, he _has_ changed. He only wanted revenge, and so he got," Jasiri continued. "He felt guilty for almost killing you, Fuli."

"Oh, he feels guilty because he nearly killed me," Fuli snapped. "It's no thanks to him that I'm still alive."

"Come on, let us go to the cave. There we can talk in peace."

Jasiri lead on through the pack of hyenas that snapped and hissed at the three trespassers. Tasha hid under Fuli to be on safe distance from the vicious hyenas. Fuli had her head in the sky looking high above the rest of the hyenas. Kion snarled and showed his impressive jaw to all who dared to snap at his family.

Inside Jasiri's cave where two teen hyenas. They were waiting for Jasiri to come back. It was Tunu and Wema. They had grown quite a bit since Fuli and Kion saw them last time.

"Jasiri! Madoa is being harassed again. Those fur brains never learn," the hyenas exclaimed at once.

"Not again. Hope she can manage to be alone with those morons a little longer. You do remember the fierce lion you used to get scared of, Tunu?" Jasiri asked. "Well, he is here with the cheetah as well? They are going to stay for a while."

Tunu and Wema gazed at the lion and the cheetah but then gazed down on the little cheetah that hid behind Fuli.

"Well look who we have here," Tunu teased. He went over to Tasha and sniffed her fur. Tasha backed a bit away.

"You don't smell like them," Tunu concluded. Wema went over to him and gave him a bop on his nose.

"Stop it Tunu. It's none of your business how she smells. It's not how felines greet each other," Wema told.

"I tell you what," began Jasiri. "why do you and Tunu not go out and sort this out outside," said Jasiri.

"Why?" Tunu asked bothered. "We have as much right to be here as they have."

Jasiri gave him a stern look which made him shut his mouth. Wema ran first outside followed by Tunu who looked back, and then disappeared.

"So, tell me what is it exactly that you are doing out here?" Jasiri asked. "And why Fuli got a nasty wound."

"well it all began when a lioness ambushed Fuli. She had Fuli in her grip, but luckily I had managed to come home from my chase, just before Fuli was going to be hurt even more," Kion told.

"So Fuli had been fighting a lioness? Why? Who?" Jasiri asked.

"The lioness was none other than Vitani, and yesterday we got her scent that she had caused a fire near the Pride Lands, and that is why we are investigating why the fire was created and what purpose it had," Fuli told. "That's why we are here to investigate it. But Kion don't want my help because I'm pregnant, and he is scared that I might get hurt again."

"Jasiri dropped her jaw. Fuli quickly looked away, embarrassed of what she just had exposed.

"You didn't tell me you were?" Jasiri said.

"I was unsure if I should say it," Fuli sheepishly replied, glowing red.

"So, you two actually succeeded," Jasiri pointed out. "Now Fuli don't have to feel guilty by being dirty."

Fuli blushed. "Don't congratulate, we have no idea what might happen to the cubs, that's why Kion wants me to stay low," Fuli sighed.

"I understand him, Fuli. You must take care of yourself when you carry around with cubs," Jasiri agreed.

"Fuli, stay here with Tasha. Then Jasiri will go with me to keep me companied instead," Kion said.

Fuli sighed and her ears went droopy.

"Okay, Kion, if that will make you happy I will stay behind. Please take care of him Jasiri."

"Don't worry, Fuli, I will watch him closely," she teased.

Kion walked over to Fuli and gave her a lick as well as to Tasha.

"Stay safe," he said.

"We will," Fuli said and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Kion and Jasiri walked out, and Kion took a last glance at his family before he diapered.

"Tasha, go out and play with Tunu and Wema. I'm sure they would be happy to play with you. Resting in here with me is really boring for a small cub who needs to play," Fuli said optimistically.

"I will mom," she said giddily and gave Fuli a lick before she also disappeared.

It would be cruel to Tasha to let her stay, for she was more interested in exploring the Outlands with the two hyenas, and Fuli didn't wanted to spoil her fun. Now Fuli was completely alone. She once loved to be by herself when she was younger, but now she missed company whenever she was alone. Her ears went droopy again, and she laid down in the dust. She rolled around on her back and yawned while stretching her body before trying to take a nap.

000

Kion and Jasiri walked in silence towards Zira's domain where they knew their target would be. Jasiri really wanted to ask Kion how he and Fuli had managed to find each other again. Last time she had seen the cheetah she was very upset. Jasisri couldn't held her question back any longer, she had to ask.

"Kion? I need to ask how you and Fuli found each other again. Last time Fuli wasn't exactly in the best mood."

"I know she went to you, and I tried to find her, but Janja came to her first," Kion sighed.

"What happened?" the hyena asked curiously.

"What happened was that we were foolish in love, and thought there would be no obstacles ahead," Kion began. "Then I got the news that a part of my adulthood as a prince I would have to go out and live alone for some time, since I'm not the heir. I had no choice, so I had to say goodbye to Fuli, but she didn't take it very well. She stormed away from me, and straight to you," Kion told.

"And after I comforted her Janja found her?" Jasiri questioned.

"Yes, he wanted revenge the death of his two friends by killing the one I love the most. Luckily, I manage to get there in time, and rescued her from the water. I took her to Rafiki who discovered Fuli's little secret. She was expecting cubs," Kion told her. "I had no idea how to act, because I knew if I said it to her, she would blame me for still leaving and also might not believing me, but I did it anyway," the lion confessed. "I couldn't bare living with the thought that she might do something rash if she discovered it on her own. But now she is with me again and I don't know if I should be happy or worried for her? I want her to be safe but on the same time happy," Kion sighed. "She is a difficult girl."

"You're right about that," Jasiri giggled.

"Well, she came looking for me, and ever since we have stayed together. Then Tasha came into our life and filled our days with wonders of being parents, but then Vitani ruined our holiday, and now we are back on the job."

"And your love for Tasha isn't going to be stopped by the fact you two are going to have your own cubs?" Jasiri asked concerned.

"Course not," Kion laughed. "We love that fur ball as much as if she was our own."

"Good to hear you're not letting her down," Jasiri said. "So, are planning to propose?"

Kion blushed. "Well – I – I haven't thought on how to do it, but I'm prepared to do it and she might be, too."

Jasiri gave him a teasing smile. "Just don't wait too long. Now come on, big guy. Zira's domain is right up. We better stay low."

000

Inside the cave Fuli was sleeping, but she wasn't alone any longer. A hyena was tapping her gently on the belly.

"Stop it, Tasha, I'm sleeping. Go outside and play again," Fuli moaned. A heavier tap hit her and Fuli woke up. "Ouch, Tasha, that really hurt," she blamed.

She opened her tired eyes to see the silhouette of a hyena. Fuli blinked and the hyena came in focus. He carried Tasha in her back mane, and had a stern look on his face. Fuli snarled at the hyena and was quickly on up on her paws.

"Let go of my daughter, your scum!" she hissed. The hyena placed Tasha on the ground looking very disappointed at the cheetah. Tasha crept under her mother and looked scared at the hyena and then at her mother. She didn't quite understand what was going on. After all the hyena had just carried her back to her.

"I thought I recognize your smell on the cub. Who else could be so stupid to take their cub to the Outlands," he blamed.

"If you recognized my smell you would have recognized Kion, too," she snarled. "You better get away from here, before he finds you!"

"Now, now, no need to still have hard feelings. I thought we was over that," he said coldly.

"You wanted me dead while I was - while I was-," Fuli stuttered but caught herself in telling the hyena a big secret. "What do you want, Janja? You can't cause any trouble when Jasiri is on your watch!"

Janja's face leaked a bit by the mentions of Jasiri. "No need for fast conclusions, Fuli," Janja snarled. "I returned your cub who had lost her way. I don't know how you managed to find a cheetah that wanted your freaky ass."

"It's not a cheetah!" she snarled.

"yeah, keep lying to yourself, Fuli. We both now it can't happen. You two might have been dirty together but you can't deny she isn't his."

"Yes, she is!"

"You really are a repelling girl that just wants as many males after you, am I right? I'm surprised Kion still wants you after you have given birth to that thing," Janja harassed.

Fuli went furious. How dared Janja who once tried to kill her harass her cub.

"How dare you, janja!" Fuli yelled. "Keep your filthy mouth shut or I will do it for you! Don't insult my daughter ever again!" she said protectively. "Why can't you just fuck off, so we don't have to look or listen to your filthy words?"

"You think I'm going to forgive you that easily?" Janja snapped.

"Forgive me? You almost killed me, if anyone should. It's me who is going to do it, and I'm never going to forgive someone like you!" she spat furiously.

Tasha moved out of her hide. "Is it true you tried to drown my mother?"

"Silence, Tasha," Fuli snapped. "Go away, Janja. I don't want to look at you."

Janja snarled at her and turned his back on the cheetah to leave her.

"Was that Janja?" Tasha asked worried.

Fuli sighed. "Yeah, me and your dad's old enemy in person. Why we got so many issues with him is because he once helped Scar regain a lot of power over the Pride Lands," Fuli told her. "Luckily we were able to stop him and somehow Janja became our friend. But then the accident happened. Your dad tried to stop a rock slight and used his roar but Janja's friends was caught in the mess and was accidently killed," Fuli sighed. "That's more or less the truth why he hates us. After that, king Simba stopped his thought about opening the borders to the Outlands, so hyenas could come and live in the Pride lands as well."

"Oh, dad must feel awful," Tasha sighed.

"Yeah, he did for a long time. Luckily he had Rani to comfort her."

"Who is she?"

"Your father's first girlfriend and his fiancé, if it wasn't for him breaking the engagement three weeks before the wedding for my sake," she giggled.

"Who's king Simba anyway?"

"He is your grandfather, sweetie," Fuli giggled.

"But is dad then a prince?" Tasha asked amazed.

"Yes."

"What does that make you?" Tasha asked giddily.

"My princess," a voice interrupted. Kion and Jasiri had come home from their scouting trip. Jasiri giggled by Kion's comment.

"Urg, did you really have to say that, hon," Fuli sighed. "I'm not going to approve called by that title."

"I know, sweetie," Kion teased and walked over to Fuli to give her a greeting lick. "But you have to get used to it when you-"

"When I what?" she asked puzzled.

Kion went red and Jasiri gave him a teasing grin. "Nothing. So, what have you been doing?" Kion asked.

"Nothing really," Fuli lied. "So, tell me, what did you two get out of your visit?"


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you're telling me Zira has planned all of this from the very beginning?" Fuli asked. Kion and Jasiri after they had told her everything they had heard from their investigation. "And Vitani and Nuka created the fire, so Kovu could save Kiara from the flames that surrounded her just so he could be accepted into the pride?"

"It is like we told you, Fuli," Jasiri replied. "They planned this, and now they are waiting for Kovu to assassinate Simba."

"Wow, Kiara must have had a pretty bad first solo hunt," Fuli teased. Kion looked moody. Another lion had been accepted into the pride just a few weeks after he left. He wasn't there to defend the Pride Lands or his father against the new threat. "How are we going to handle this?" Fuli asked concerned. "I mean we can't just walk back to the pride Lands and gossip up what Kovu is really planning."

"No, it wouldn't be the best idea," Jasiri agreed.

Fuli turned her gaze towards the sorrowful lion. "Kion? How do you feel?" she asked. "It must be hard for you to hear this. I'm so sorry that we can't do anything at the moment."

Kion gave his love a smile, and walked over to nuzzle her head into his. "Don't worry about me, honey," Kion said. "We figure something out, my father is not going to be hurt."

Jasiri smiled by the sight of the happy family. "oh, you three looks so adorable together," she said happily.

Kion smiled at the hyena. "Someday you would also have you own cubs, Jasiri," Kion smiled.

"Nah, I'm not ready for that. I'm a lone wolf. Besides, I have to look after a quite large pack now, so I wouldn't have time for family stuff," she replied.

"If I may interrupt your family talk," a cold voice interrupted. "Some of us would like shelter for the night, so are you done discussing your private stuff?"

The three looked at the hyena that stood at the entrance to the cave. Janja had returned and still looked as pissed as ever. "I want to know if we can come in now?" he questioned tartly.

Kion began snarling at the hyena by the sight of him. He was not going to cause any trouble to his new family. Janja just frowned by the lion who was trying to intimidate him, but it had no effect on him at all.

Fuli laid a paw on the lion's paw. "Easy, Kion."

"Kion, behave nicely," Jasiri said. Kion didn't stop by her words.

"Please, Kion," Fuli begged. He stopped and looked stunned at Fuli, she looked sheepishly away when their eyes met.

"Just stay out of me and my family's way," he threatened, but the hyena was turning around.

"Are you not coming and joining us tonight?" Jasiri asked.

"Not when they are here," he snarled. He gave Kion and Fuli a malignant glare before he stepped out and let the others come in.

Jasiri turned her gaze towards Kion and Fuli. "Don't mind him. He's just a little grumpy. He thinks that you will get all the attention now," Jasiri teased. "Good night to you three," Jasiri said before she walked over to Madoa, Tunu and Wema and laid beside them. Fuli curled herself together close up against Kion's belly and gently began to purr. Tasha were laying tight in Fuli's fathom and was still fast asleep. Kion laid himself beside the cheetah and she was about to kiss him but Kion placed a paw on her mouth that surprised the cheetah.

"What, no good night kiss?"

"Fuli, why did you want me to calm down over Janja?" he questioned. "You are as pissed as I am on him, why didn't you let me give him what he deserved?"

"I know he is still wicked, but something happened when I mentioned jasiri's name," Fuli confessed. "I maybe think he is trying to change."

"What do you mean?"

"I lied to you, I didn't do nothing," Fuli confessed. "Janja brought Tasha back to me after she had lost her way."

"Did that filth have my cub in his disgusting mouth!" Kion yelled.

"Shh, Kion, you wake," Fuli calmed and licked the sleeping cub. "We had an argument-"

"You didn't tell him your secret, did you?" Kion asked worriedly.

"No, course not, I lied that Tasha was our cub, but he didn't believe me and called me repelling because he thought I had been together with a cheetah before you."

"I'll break him," Kion snarled.

"Kion, why do you think he brought Tasha back without hurting her, why did his face leak by the mention of Jasiri?" Fuli questioned.

"Don't care."

"I know it's a wild theory, but maybe he wants to change," Fuli said.

"Don't you just think it's because he can't hurt us or else Jasiri will kick him out?" Kion questioned.

"Either way, it's just odd," Fuli concluded and laid her head on the rock. "Why bring our cub back if he didn't care?"

Kion pretended not to have heard her last questioned and kissed her face good night. "Good Night, fool," Kion said.

"Good night, love," Fuli replied sleepily.

When dawn rose over the Outlands, Kion and Jasiri went out hunting for breakfast. While they were out hunting, Madou was left in charge. She handled it nicely, though Janja's clan didn't seem to respect her as much as they did with Jasiri. Janja had to snarl and bark at some of his members to control them.

Tasha was laying curled up in Fuli's fathom and was getting a bath. Tasha was scared of the intractable hyenas but her mother kept her on safe distance from them.

Jasiri and Kion returned at last with four gazelles. Tasha greeted them by running towards them at first sight. She twirled around Kion's front leg and purred. Kion greeted his love by laying the two gazelles, who he caught, in front of her. Fuli licked his face, to show she was very pleased with his catch. Jasiri threw her gazelles in front of her family and they dug into the meal. Some of the other hyenas were cheeky enough to take some bites, but Jasiri snarled them off.

Fuli had eaten most of the gazelle when she thought of Janja. She couldn't get the thought out of her head that the hyena might have changed, but how could she prove it? If she asked him, he would just bark her off. Or maybe it was all just a cover to overthrow Jasiri later? She knew it was stupid to have hard feelings, but then again it would be stupid to behave nicely towards him if he really still was evil.

The opportunity to investigate if Janja had changed occurred when she later saw Janja sneak away. She and Kion and Jasiri were going to spy a little more on the lions from the Outlands, but Fuli saw her chance to spy on the hyena instead.

"Are you sure you won't go, fool," Kion asked concerned. "You must miss stuff like this?"

"No, I'm fine, Kion. I still don't feel quite well after Janja's harassment and I won't delay you. I'm getting heavier," she lied.

"If it's what you want, we won't be in your way," Jasiri said.

"Take care of Tasha, will ya, babe?" Kion asked.

"Don't worry, fierce boy," she said while giving him a bop on the nose. "Now you two have fun."

She watched the two of them walk away while she focused her attention on the little cub.

"Now, Tasha, go play with Tunu and Wema," Fuli said. "Have some fun."

"But dad said-"

"Go play with them," Fuli said a bit eagerly. "please, sweetie."

Tasha did as she was instructed, and Fuli could finally lay her attention on her prey.

"All right Mr. Sneaky, what are you up to?" she said to herself and began to walk out of Jasiri's territory, through narrow gaps. She found the hyena sneaking around for himself sniffing the ground like a trace dog. He found a flower and looked curiously at it. To Fuli's astonishment he picked it up but didn't destroy it. He then walked proudful away with his price. Fuli followed him curiously on closer hand. He led her to a little cave with more flowers that looked rotted. Janja picked them all up and walked out without realizing Fuli were there.

"All right, Mr. sneaky," Fuli said. Janja was caught off guard and dropped the flowers. "What are you up to?"

Janja was flabbergasted that the girl he least wanted to know his secret had caught him red-handed.

"F – Fuli, you weren't supposed to be here! What are you doing here?" Janja barked, turning the table.

"I was trying to see were you were sneaking off to, to see if you had any plans on deceiving Jasiri."

"And why should I do that?" he barked.

"because I know you too well, Janja. You like to rule," Fuli said, pointing a paw at him. "You brought Tasha back to me but still you let your anger float. You didn't pick a fight with Kion either and you didn't attack me when you had the chance. What are you trying out?"

"Nothing?" he snarled. "if your stupid girl hadn't lost her way-"

"And there we have it again," Fuli said. "You still harass people, is that the only thing you have left? Are you playing Jasiri's little pet because you know she will throw you out if you attacked?"

"Just shut up, Fuli."

"No, I will not," she went on, pinching his chest. "You sneaked out here to catch some flowers, why? Who are they for?"

Janja were blushing hard red. He had no idea what to say.

"I caught you red-handed, didn't I. Who are those flowers to?" Fuli asked curiously.

"Emb - blem," was the only thing he could say.

"I didn't get that."

Janja breathed in and confessed. It was his only option, because the clever girl could easily guess her answers.

"It's to Jasiri, if you must know," Janja confessed while he blushed madly red. An awkward tension fell upon the two of them.

"They are for Jasiri?" Fuli questioned unimpressed. "Why? You don't owe - wait, do you have feelings for her, or you just want access to her ass?" Fuli questioned.

"I don't just want her ass," Janja snapped, but went silent very quick. The cheetah had made her expose himself. He really liked the hyena, but had no chance on winning her heart. Now what? He would be humiliated by everyone, now Fuli would gossip to everyone about his secret crush. He would never be able to look Jasiri in the eyes again.

Fuli didn't knew if she should laugh or sympathize with him. She knew that she mostly wanted to laugh and humiliate him but that would be very immature of her. After all she had been in the same situation when she confessed her feelings to Kion.

"Something tells me you do have feelings for her," she confirmed sympathetically. "And it's not just mating."

"Again, you caught the culprit, smartass," Janja snarled.

"Hey, don't be rude, Janja. I had it the same way when I had a crush on Kion, but he chose Rani and was left with Azaad and he left me too," she confessed.

"Wait, you have been together with someone else?" the hyena questioned.

"Not the relationship way but I thought we had something, until he told me he would stay when I returned to the Pride Lands with the others."

"You felt let down?"

"I don't know what I should had expect, he was a grown cheetah, and I was still a teen," Fuli laughed. "But yeah, I became still and even more when Rani and kion announced their wedding."

"Which you ruined."

"It was Rani who broke-up with him three weeks before, not mine," Fuli snapped. "But I felt bad for being the one responsible for Kion not completing his marriage. So, you need help?"

"Help with what?"

"Confessing to Jasiri."

"Don't make me laugh," Janja goaded. "You just want to humiliate me. You're just telling me this to get me to expose my feelings to you. Go ahead and tell everyone, I don't care what comes out of your hatch!"

"Janja, you're not going to get anywhere with that attitude," Fuli said firmly. "Now, be a man for once and don't cower behind your fear of not getting accepted!"

Janja looked stunned at her. Was she really helping him or was she waiting for the right moment to humiliate him? He looked away from her piercing gaze.

"Look, Janja. I'm the only girl around who will keep her mouth shut. Madoa won't believe you or she will run straight to Jasiri. I can help you with this talk, or else you would have to confess your feelings to the girl you love without being prepared," Fuli said sternly. "How long have this been going on?"

Janja finally made eye contact with her again. He stilled blushed red, and wasn't sure to tell the truth to the cheetah, but decided it would help releasing some of his fear.

"Since I turned to yours side, when we became close," he confessed. "But then the accident happened, and I cast my feelings away and became my old self," Janja confessed.

"I'm really sorry, Janja for your lost, but we couldn't do anything to prevent it," Fuli said sympathetically.

"Shut up and listen!" Janja snarled. "There is more. I used a long time to grieve and decided to take my revenge on Kion."

Fuli blushed. She knew what came next. "What was it exactly your spy saw us do?"

"Nuzzling each other very affectionately," Janja said.

"So, he didn't saw us do anything else?" Fuli asked relieved.

"What do you mean – wait, did you two seriously mate? How did he fit inside you?"

"Can we please not talk about this."

"You seriously did it?" Janja smirked.

"janja, please, my love life is not something you need to know about, but I'm overwhelmed to know my old foe is sleeping together with my friend and he has a crush on her as well," Fuli said rapidly.

Janja blushed. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry for what I did to you, I felt guilty when Jasiri took us in and I couldn't get myself to say it to her because I knew she would hate me for it," the hyena confessed.

The cheetah looked stunned at the hyena. She had just got an apology from him. "look, Janja. Eh – I told her yesterday, but she was still convinced you were a good guy, she won't hate you for what you did."

"Don't lie, cheetah," Janja mocked.

"Janja, please, just tell me."

"Fine. We returned to our home in the Outlands, but some days later that psychopath, lioness chased us away," Janja confessed. "We were homeless, and I cowardly crept to Jasiri to ask for shelter. I thought she would reject us, but she surprised me like she always did. She gave us shelter, food and a new clan."

"Well, she is full of surprises, that girl," Fuli teased. "Come on let us go for a walk. We shouldn't be seen out here."

Janja reluctantly followed the cheetah in the back. "So, how do you plan to attract her?" Fuli asked.

"With the flowers," Janja confessed.

"That doesn't work, Janja," Fuli interrupted. "half of them are already rotted. You need to come up with something better. Kion always game me fresh flowers."

"And how am I supposed to do that, matchmaker," Janja snarled.

"First we are going to make her see what's inside the beast," Fuli said.

Janja snarled. "I suppose I'm the beast? But see me how?"

"Well, you are going to show the caring part of you and be a bit flirty, so she will notice you care about her, because she is too busy to even notice you now," she confirmed.

"How?" Janja asked puzzled.

Fuli bit her lip and looked worried then determined at the hyena. "Well try me Janja. Seduce me, let's see what you have instore for her," she teased.

"What? Are you mad? You are not like a girl girl. Those tricks don't work on you. You are a tomboy," Janja confessed.

Fuli raised an eyebrow. "I will take that as a compliment," she said firmly.

"How did you and Kion do it?" Janja asked.

Fuli blushed. "Well, we kept our feelings from each other for a long time, until Rani broke-up with him. Then he had courage enough to confess he liked me, and I told him, too but I couldn't get into a relationship with him."

"Don't give me the whole story, I just need to know what made you give in," Janja spat.

Fuli sniggered. "To be honest he had to convince me, and I had to convince him and that's sort of how it happened," Fuli confessed. "Kion wouls sneak out of Pride Rock every night to spent it with me and return back in the morning, so no one would notice he had gone. Kion also occasionally brought me flowers," Fuli said.

"I don't have time for night walks!" he hissed.

"That is right," said a familiar voice. "In fact, you don't have any time at all."

Fuli and Janja looked to the left to find Vitani smirking at them. She had once again sneaked up on her without her noticing.

"I thought I smelled your reek out here," Vitani said victoriously. "I didn't think you were that stupid to follow us out to the Outlands, and yet again you have left your cub unprotected."

She was right, but Tasha were safe with the other hyenas, unless she had wondered off. "Leave us alone, sack," Fuli hissed. "Kion watches over her!"

"There you are wrong again, sweetheart," Vitani said playfully. "Your boyfriend is together with the hyena freak and my lionesses are closing in on them, and what's left of the hyenas."

"Don't call Jasiri a freak," Janja snarled.

"Now are we caring for someone," Vitani said amused.

"That can't be true," Fuli snarled. "You're not that many lionesses to ambush us. This is just a trick to lure us into another trap, isn't it? You want me dead, but I will not give you the opportunity again, Vitani!" she hissed.

"It's already too late. You are too far away to reach them in time," Vitani said devilishly. "When you return, everyone will be dead and you would be left sad and alone. And that is when I will strike. I want to see the tears drip of your pathetic sad face, and here you whimper and finally beg me to kill you."

Fuli looked horrified. How was she able to get back in time if this was true? Kion couldn't defend her, if he was ambushed by lionesses as well. Suddenly Janja ambushed Vitani and pinned her down. "Fuli, run!" he shouted.

Fuli didn't need to hear it twice, but were split, because she had begun to care a little for the hyena, but her cub was more important. She sprinted away as fast as her paws could take her, well knowing she would lose energy very quickly because of her pregnancy. Over hills and over rocks it went, but Vitani was closing in on her.

"You will never make it in time," she shouted under her breath.

"You want to bet!" Fuli snarled.


	6. Chapter 6

Fuli arrived to the watering hole and was met with a horrifying sight. The outmost chaos reigned. Lionesses versus hyenas, and one proud lion defending two teen hyenas against two ferocious lionesses. Fuli was devastated. Somewhere in the fight Tasha were. Tasha could have been kicked, stamped or bitten to dea - No! Not Tasha. She is more resourceful then you think, Fuli thought for herself.

She got into the trouble and hurried her way forward to the lion. She got up beside him ambushed one of the lionesses.

"Kion? Where is Tasha?" she questioned him worriedly.

"I don't know, Fuli. I haven't seen her," Kion replied, taking up a fight with the other lioness. "I thought she was with you."

"We got separated," she lied. "Oh, no, no, no," she whimpered and got down from the lioness and quickly onwards. Fuli looked and looked for the cub and suddenly she caught sight of her. "There!"

She was standing on top of an edge, looking frightened while two fierce lionesses were snapping and biting at her. Fuli ambushed one of the lionesses and quickly got down from her, in case the other one would pin her down. The other lioness turned around and saw Fuli. Now Fuli had the two lioness's attention. She tried to get the lionesses far away from Tasha as possible but every time she got them far enough away they returned to Tasha. Tasha situation wasn't getting better. The edge she was standing on was slowly eroding and getting smaller and smaller until Tasha would fall down into the ferocious lionesses' jaws. This seemed to be the end for the little cheetah cub's life, who only still was so young. How terrible parents her and Kion was. They didn't deserve any future cubs after this disaster.

The edge broke, and Tasha felt down towards the snapping lionesses while she led out a horrifying scream that went through Fuli's body. She couldn't bear to watch her cub get killed. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the silence that would come when Tasha breathed out. She would never forgive herself for that mistake, if they managed to get out alive. Tasha's scream came to an abruptly end, but the lionesses didn't sound like they were snapping in fur. They more sounded like they were snarling at someone. Fuli opened her eyes slowly and looked toward the lionesses. They were growling at Janja who had Tasha in his mouth. Janja had caught her just before she felt down into the lionesses' jaws. She seemed to be fine, just a little shocked. Fuli sighed in relief. She quickly ran in between the lionesses and Janja.

"Janja! Get Tasha away from here! I trust you with this task," she said while she hissed at the lionesses that stared ferociously back. "Follow me and Kion's scent, back to our home. We will join you shortly!"

Janja nodded and ran away with Tasha. Fuli snarled at the two lionesses. She snapped after them indicating she was ready for a fight though she was losing energy pretty fast.

"Come on. Show me what you're made of," she hissed.

Before the lionesses could make their move, another lioness pinned down the king cheetah. Vitani had come from behind. She was out of frustrations. The little bastard cub had survived, but she could still finish it off by killing the king cheetah once and for all.

"You little bastard cub might have survived, but I will make sure when I'm done with you to hunt her down," she hissed.

"You think you can just get away with this? I'm prepared this time and I will not let you near my daughter ever again!" Fuli hissed back. She tried to fight her off, but the lioness held her steady.

Vitani leaned her head down so she was the only one who could hear her. "I know something that might surprise you," she whispered. "You get easily under your breath and that's not because you're out of shape. It's because you're pregnant. How devastated don't you think your fierce prince will be when he finds you dead and more devastated when he will never see his cubs."

This was too much for Fuli. She gathered all her strength she had left and pushed the lioness of her. No one was going to kill her today. Both of them got up and began circling each other, ready for any ambush that might come. Vitani snapped after Fuli and was ready to launch herself again but a lion with flaming red mane came to Fuli's rescue. He got up on two legs and showed himself in his impressive full high. Vitani did the same but she wasn't as tall as the lion. They launched at each other and collapsed together. Vitani scratched Kion's cheek, giving him a painful cut. Kion quickly launched his sharp claws at Vitani's body but didn't made a great impact as he had hoped.

"Go get her, honey!" Fuli yelled in excitement. "I'll tell Jasiri we have to leave the place for good," she added. Fuli ran off not looking behind to even see if the lion had heard her. She ran between fighting lioness and hyenas but eventually she caught sight of Jasiri. She was standing protectively in front of Tunu and Wema. One lioness had managed to push them up against a wall with no sign of escaping. Fuli ambushed the lioness and pinned her down so they could escape and flee.

"Jasiri! We have to leave or else it will be our downfall," Fuli said beggingly. "We will be overrun if we stay."

Jasiri nodded and began to signal to the clan that it was on high time to flee. Many hyenas moved toward the exit and jumped out the hole, leaving only lionesses behind. Fuli quickly followed with Kion in her trail.

Many hyenas limped or either got carried by other hyenas. Fuli carried around with one hyena that was badly wounded. She looked down into the ground. She thought of all the bad stuff that had happen lately. It was all her and Kion's fault that the lionesses had ambushed Jasiri's home and forced them to flee. It was her fault that Tasha almost was killed. She got filled with guilt and disgusted herself. How was Jasiri ever going to forgive her. She had lost her home and territory.

Someone gently pushed to her. Fuli looked up and saw Kion giving her a comforting smile. Blood was dripping down from his cheek, from his cut. He carried around with two hyenas. Fuli looked with grief at the lion and gently began licking his wound clean. The blood touched her warm tongue, it was disgusting but it also felt good to clean one's loves fur. When she was done cleaning, she pulled away, and Kion smiled to her.

"You're sure you can handle it, fool?" Kion asked. "I don't want you to overwork yourself."

"I'm fine. Kion. I'll manage,"Fuli said, even though it wasn't true. She could feel how her legs began to get weaker.

"No, you are not," Kion said. He somehow managed to lift the hyena Fuli was carrying up on his back.

"Thanks," she sighed.

"You need to be careful, Fuli. I don't want you to bring yourself out in the situation where you are too exhausted to continue," Kion said.

Fuli just looked down in the ground again and remained silent.

The rest of the clan met up with Janja at Fuli and Kion's territory. Many hyenas collapsed in exhaustion of walking or carrying other hyenas on their backs. Janja looked horrified and frightened on the spectacle. He never thought the lionesses would attack them when they were such a large number, but he was wrong. And whose fault was that?

Fuli walked around in search of her daughter. She was exhausted, out of her breath, and her belly screamed for rest, but she had to find her daughter. She had led Tasha into this mess, and she failed all the time to keep her save.

Finally, she caught sight of Janja and Tasha. They were standing on top of a little hill getting a good overview of the wounded. Fuli used her last strength and ran up the hill, and collapsed in front of the cheetah cub.

"Oh, Tasha. I'm so sorry I pulled you into this mess. I can't keep you safe," she whimpered. "I perfectly understand if you want to live with you real mother after all this."

Tasha snuggled herself up against Fuli's tearful cheek. She began to purr by the loving connection there were between them.

"Leave you? But ma, I love you and dad. And if this is your daily job, then I'm going to love it," she said trying to comfort her mother. Fuli just looked with tears in her eyes on the little cheetah. She seemed okay. No scratches or wounds just a little dusty. Fuli began licking her child all over the body to clean the dust of her fur.

"Arg, ma, stop it. I'm clean, okay," Tasha blamed. Fuli gave the cub a last lick on the forehead and turned her gaze toward Janja.

"Thank you so much for keeping her safe, Janja. It means a lot to me," she thanked him. Janja just looked awkwardly at the situation. No one ever had thanked him for anything. Then, to his big surprise, Fuli gave him a wet lick on his cheek. Janja looked dumfounded at the cheetah with no idea of what to say. He's body felt warm and full of emotions he never thought he had.

Janja just gave Fuli an awkward smile. Maybe there were a new connection between them.

A large paw grasped around Fuli's chest and raised her up into the air for a loving hug. Fuli felt with her paws up and down the body of the intruder. She felt his soft mane and smelled his lovely scent. Kion just wanted to feel his family's warm bodies and know that they were alive and well.

The lion couldn't hold the balance anymore and felt on his back into the soft grass with Fuli close snuggled into his chest. Fuli snuggled herself as deeply as possible into Kion's fur and laid her head beside his. Tasha jumped on top of Fuli's chest and curled herself together to a little fur ball.

"Thanks, the great kings for you being safe, Tasha," Kion sighed in relief. "what do we do Fuli? We are terrible parents."

Fuli licked the lion on his cheek and gave him a loving smile. "She said to me that she rather wanted to live with us, even after all the trouble we put her through," Fuli said while stroking a paw down his chest.

Kion smiled by Fuli's reply and began licking her face.

Janja couldn't stand watching the couple being so lovingly and happy towards each other. He looked gloomily at the cheetah and the lion before he walked away.

Clouds had gathered above the camp. Fuli had fallen asleep close snugged up into Kion, but she got woken by small raindrops that were coming from above. Fuli looked after Tasha, and found her sleeping on top on her chest. She gently stroked a paw across her body before she looked at Kion. He was still sleeping but with a smile across his face. Fuli kissed him, and gently lifted Tasha away from her body and placed her on Kion's chest. She kissed the cub on her head and left in hope she could find Jasiri and tell her how sorry she was.

She looked around but with no luck of finding the hyena. She eventually found Janja grieving over the wounded hyenas.

Fuli approached Janja with cation. She felt bad for the hyena. She told him to bring Tasha home with no idea how his friends had managed the chaos.

"Janja?" she asked with a soft voice. "I'm awfully sorry for your lost. Is there anything I can do to return the favor?" Fuli asked in her most caring tone.

Janja snarled at her. "Fuck off."

"Pardon?"

"Fuck off, cheetah. Why should you care if any of them died? All you ever did were chasing us away from the Pride Lands. You have a family that loves you. They are the only family I got. If they are gone I wouldn't have anything left!" Janja blamed the cheetah.

"You will have Jasiri and us," Fuli said caringly.

Janja fumed at her proposal. "Jasiri? She's better off with a bad boy like me, and you! Why do you think I want your friendship? I don't think your dumb husband would approve it? Hyenas and felines aren't supposed to be friends, remember," Janja snarled back.

He left without saying another word but made sure to stamp in the mud, so that Fuli's wet fur would be even more disgusting with mud as well.

Fuli looked down into the earth in defeat. She shed a tear but a paw that didn't belong to Fuli quickly brushed it away. It was Jasiri that had seen her argue with Janja. She looked at her with a sad smile and motherly love.

"Don't listen to that fool. He doesn't know what he's talking about," Jasiri said with comfort in her voice.

"I'm so sorry, Jasiri. You have lost your home and territory. How can we ever make this up for you?" Fuli whimpered.

Jasiri caressed the cheetah with her paw. She dragged Fuli's chin up, so that they could see each other eyes.

"Don't worry about me, sweetheart," Jasiri said in comfort. "I have a family that I love and so do you. Nothing matters more than family, Fuli. Try and speak to the dumb hyena again sometime later."

"Actually, Jasiri. I believe that he wants to talk to you," Fuli confessed.

"Me? But you the one - Okay, okay, I'll do it, sweetie," Jasiri said after looking into Fuli's begging eyes. "If it will make you happy, your stubborn cheetah."

Jasiri kissed Fuli on her forehead before she walked away. Fuli looked with sorrowful eyes on the wounded hyenas. She couldn't let Janja down again. She had to help the hyenas, and do every harm that she had done lately good again. Fuli bended her head down, and began licking their wounds.

She did her best, and when she pulled away the hyenas looked less harmed. At least their wounds had stopped bleeding.

A large body came between Fuli and the hyenas. She looked up and into the eyes of her loved one.

"You are doing this for his sake, aren't you?" Kion asked sheepishly.

Fuli just nodded. "And for hers as well," she sighed. "Kion, this is our fault that the hyenas were under attack. It's our fault they are homeless, and I want to help Jasiri and the other hyenas as much as I can. They lost everything but we still got our place and I want to share it with them."

"I'll help you, sweetheart," Kion said comforting. "I may never be friends with Janja but I want to help Jasiri as much as you do."

"Where is Tasha?" Fuli asked.

"She is still sleeping. She needs to rest. All of this is very exhausting for her," the lion replied while stroking a paw across Fuli's back and up into her mane. Fuli snuggled herself into his fur and looked toward Jasiri and Janja. The rain had turned into fog and it was hard to make out their shapes, but they were still visible to her eye. She saw Jasiri giving Janja a kiss on his cheek and even in the dimly fog it was clearly that Janja blushed. Fuli smiled for herself. "The hyena got his girl."

"What?"

"Nothing," Fuli said. We should get back to Tasha. We mustn't leave her out of sight from now on."


	7. Chapter 7

The days passed by. Fuli, Kion, and the rest of the hyenas that still were able to stand, helped the other wounded hyenas around, and made sure they didn't starve.

Fuli's belly had swollen a bit and she was getting more exhausted. She had a horrible thought in her head that Vitani might ambush her any minute now that she knew her secret. Kion could definitely feel that something troubled his love. He gathered courage enough to ask what was on her mind. "Fuli, what is troubling you? You have been so distant lately. Is it the cubs you're worried about?"

"No, it's not the cubs Kion," Fuli sighed. "It - it's-" she stuttered. "Oh, Kion, it's horrible. Vitani guessed our secret. She knows I'm pregnant. I just got this fear that she might ambush me at any minute now."

"And what if I told you that it will never happen, and I will guard you at all time," Kion comforted.

"It's not that simple, Kion," Fuli sighed. "You can't watch me all the time, I need my own time."

"What if I cleaned you, you're quite dirty," he teased. His tongue went over her face and down her body.

"Try a bit harder maybe," She teased.

Kion gave her a desirous grin before he pinned her down to the ground and began licking her face with more force. His tongue went across her face, and across her swollen belly. He rested his head on top it and gave a pleased sight. "You're getting fatter," he teased.

"Oh, shut up, Kion," Fuli giggled. "It's going to grow even more."

Kion then continued his licking down to her rear end, and up her belly, and down again.

"If I may interrupt your love licking," a female voice interrupted. Both cats looked in the direction of the voice to find Jasiri who had bud in on them. Kion still had his tongue stuck to Fuli's bum, and quickly removed it not to embarrass himself even more.

"What is it, Jasiri," Fuli asked awkwardly.

"Your daughter seems to have grown happy towards Janja, and she can't let him go whenever you aren't watching her, for example right now," Jasiri blamed.

Both parents blushed embarrassedly red.

"I'll go get her, on high time I talk to janja again, and about what you two have been doing while we have looked the other way," Fuli teased. Now it was jasiri's turn to go red. "Don't worry, I won't gossip about what you have been doing," she added as she walked past the hyena.

000

"Stop trying biting my ear, pest," Janja snarled at the cheetah cub. The little cub was jumping up and down, and even now and then manage to bite the hyena's ear.

"You're doing a great job as a babysitter," Fuli teased.

"Mom!" Tasha squeaked. She ran over to her mother and twirled around her leg. Fuli leaned her head down to nuzzle the little cub's head. She then turned her attention towards the hyena.

"You seem to do a fine job being a nanny," she teased. "I should consider hire you."

The hyena growled by the comment. "She is the one who has stalked me, I don't want her company!"

"That's what they all say," Fuli hummed. "Don't pretend you don't like her, Janja. You saved her life, of course she got a soft spot for you now, and you for her."

"Don't expect me to marry her. I don't want her sneaking after me all the time," the hyena snapped. "I have hardly anytime with jasiri."

"So, you two have been sneaking away while me and Kion looked the other way?" she teased.

Janja were about to argue when he noticed Fuli's large belly, and it wasn't because she was eating a lot. "You - you're - you're pregnant," he stuttered.

"Well finally the penny drops," she teased.

"You lied to me. You told me Kion was the father to Tasha."

"He is, just not the who brought her to life."

"But no one can reproduce twice," Janja said, looking puzzled.

"Haven't you guessed it, Janja," Fuli laughed. "She is adopted. "I found her weeks ago. Me and Kion's cubs we made over a month ago. Honestly, some similarities there has to be between the father and the cub."

"So, you're telling me that the lion is actually the father to the new cubs?" Janja asked, overwhelmed by the news that a cheetah had become pregnant with a lion.

"Haven't you heard a word what I said?" Fuli asked, still laughing. "Besides, if I told you back there, you wouldn't have believed me."

"Why should I, have you ever heard of a cheetah become pregnant with a lion?" Janja asked.

"Yeah."

"Who?"

"Me," Fuli teased. "Come on Tasha, time for your bath."

The two cheetahs walked away, leaving a flabbergasted hyena back.

More days went by and on one occasion Fuli had sneaked out of Kion's protection, and was out hunting for herself, something she had longed for a while now, because before it had only been Jasiri, janja and Kion who did the job, but now she was finally out in the field again, and it felt wonderful to feel the pressure of the lion's restrictions. She knew she wouldn't be able to hunt much more because Kion would be too protective and tell her to stay behind. Like if she cared, she wasn't going to waste her last chances to hunt or run before her pregnancy kicked in real hard.

She had sneaked up on some gazelles when she noticed another cheetah out hunting. Fuli couldn't believe her eyes. Right in front of her sneaked Mwoga around in the grass Tasha's real mother.

"Mwoga?"

The brown cheetah stood petrified by the call of her name. She slowly turned her head and caught sight of the cheetah she least expected to see again. How had she survived the attack? Mwoga thought for herself.

"Oh, hi, Fuli. How's going?" she asked like it was totally normal to meet one you thought were dead. "How is Tasha? Is she okay?"

"Well she is fine, no thanks to you, but we are very happy to have her," Fuli said. "Why did you just leave like that? We could have been dead if Kion hadn't showed up. Your daughter defended me but you ran like a coward!"

Mwoga looked sheepishly away. Deep inside she knew she was a real coward and wanted to keep herself safe more than protecting others. She had never understood the need with sacrificing yourself for another one, so that they might live. To try and get away from Fuli's question, she thought what could defend her case, when she noticed Fuli large belly. "So, you have been cheating on you boyfriend?" the cheetah said accusingly.

"What?"

"Your fat belly isn't doing the job hiding it. Did he leave you when he noticed?"

"No, they are his cubs. I haven't been cheating on him," Fuli said in her defense. "I would never!"

"How so? Cheetahs can't have cubs with lions, and you know that," Mwoga accused.

"Yes, but somehow we manage, might be The Great Kings there have something to do with this or else we are just very lucky," Fuli said.

"Shut up with such nonsense," the cheetah barked. "You knew you were pregnant from the very beginning but you wanted more, so of course it was my cub you had to pinch."

"That's not true," Fuli said. "I really thought I had lost the cubs, and your cub was unprotected by you."

"I retuned, okay," Mwoga said.

"But what about when you left your daughter the second time?" Fuli accused.

"I - well that was – because -," she stuttered. "If you hadn't attacked that lioness in the first place none of this would have happened," the cheetah defended herself, but Fuli had seen through her.

"If I hadn't protected our daughter, she would have been dead!" Fuli hissed. "You know, Mwonga? I think you are a real coward!"

"What?"

"Coward," Fuli repeated. "It is not a coincidence your name means that, is it? You left Tasha because you couldn't handle being a parent, so you left her, but realize she was only a cub and no one would take care of her, though I will say you kept the spirit up, but again you failed her by saving your own stinky fur instead of protecting your own daughter!"

Mwoga looked away. She began to turn around and walk away. "I'm sorry I failed you," she sighed.

Fuli just looked mad at her and replied. "It's not me you're going to say you're sorry to, it's your daughter you're going to say it to!"

Fuli watched by until the cheetah was out of sight, then she brushed away the conversation and her hate towards the cheetah, and continued her hunt. "I really hope you think about this till next season!"

Fuli continued her hunt and had been successful to catch two gazelles before her body began to scream for rest. She was on her way home when she caught eye of a familiar shadow on the sky.

"Fuli! Fuli! I have great news for you!" the bird exclaimed. Fuli dropped the gazelle and ran toward the bird that had landed.

"Ono? Is it really you?" Fuli questioned. She couldn't believe her eyes and was thrilled to see it indeed was The Keenest of Sight. She ran over to the egret and leaned her head down to lick the birds face. The bird wasn't amused. His top feathers had become all wet. Then he looked closer at his friend and noticed her belly.

"You - you're-" he stuttered.

"What? Never seen a pregnant cheetah before," she teased. "Come on, Ono. Kion will be thrilled to see you."

Ono caught the wind and Fuli ran home with her prey dangling from her mouth. Ono watched the cheetah from above and wondered who Fuli's cubs' father were. It couldn't be Kion, but Fuli would neither cheat on him unless she was very desperate to start a family.

When they arrived at Fuli and Kion's hide-out the egret got a shock when he saw who Fuli and Kion were surrounded by. A mass of hyenas was assembled everywhere. It couldn't be Jasiri's pack all of them. There were to many for that. Had his friends turned and was building an army to take over the Pride Lands? The egret thought.

Fuli found Kion and Tasha playing Baobab Ball. Kion had taught her the same sport who he was very fond of as a cub. Tasha threw the ball and it flew up in the air. Kion was about to grab it with his mouth when Fuli saw her chance to participate. She threw the gazelles and jumped in the air catching the fruit in midair right in front of a stunned lion. She gave him a cheeky grin when she had landed on her paws again.

"Cheeky cheetah," Kion mumbled.

Fuli dropped the fruit and beamed at him. "We have a guest, honey." she teased while she walked over to him and gave him a loving lick on his nose. Kion blushed and all his agony over her catching the fruit in front of him melted away.

"Who is it?" Kion asked.

"Ono is here, He has some news to tell us," Fuli replied.

Kion turned his head to see his friend. A pleased smile came across his face, and he hugged the bird when he came close. "Long time no seen. How have you been?" Kion asked.

"I'm fine, Kion, but who is the cub?" he asked when he had noticed that they were three.

"Before you say anything, Ono, she is adopted, and we are terrible at keeping her safe," Fuli said.

"And inside your belly-"

"Look if you think I cheated on Kion, you're wrong," Fuli blamed. "Somehow it worked out, and don't ask how because we don't know."

"But why do you then have a cub adopted if-"

"I thought the cubs were dead, Ono," Fuli continued. "I thought Kion wanted a family, which I thought if he had a cub he wouldn't leave me for another lioness," she confessed.

"So, you're still insecure?" Ono asked. Fuli blushed red and looked sheepishly away. She still was a bit touchy on that topic. Ono then changed subject. "But you aren't building an army, are you?" he asked.

"What gives you that silly idea?" Kion asked perplexed.

"You two are surrounded by hyenas," Ono accused.

"That we can talk about later," Kion said a little embarrassed. He sheepishly strokes his paw down his red mane.

"We aren't building an army, just giving them shelter," Fuli confessed.

"Shelter for what?" Ono asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The lions from the Outlands attacked us, and the only place we knew we could be safe was our home," Fuli said.

"But Janja-"

"Yes, he is here as well," Fuli confessed. "But he has change, Ono, he is not wicked anymore, at least not cold hearted."

"But he tried to drown you," Ono said accusingly.

"I know that, but he said he was sorry, and it seems like Jasiri's heart has melted his cold behavier away."

"You mean those two are-"

"Well, it's not official, but those two love birds do walk away when they think we aren't noticing," Fuli teased. "So that was our short story. What have you to tell."

Ono had to think of where to start. "Well, okay. To get to the point, you (he looked at Kion) were send away not to cause any trouble between Rafiki's plan with Kiara and Kovu. Rafiki wanted the two of them brought together so the Outlands and the Pride Lands could be united.

"Why would he think such a stupid idea would ever work," Fuli hissed. "We have lived out here with bad hunting possibilities just so that mandrill could work out his plan!"

"I know you're mad, Fuli, but Rafiki didn't see you two fell in love, he thought Kion would be married with Rani and he and her would rule the Night lands together. And you weren't supposed to run with him either," Ono said.

"Well I'm glad I did so I didn't have to live in that hell together with an Outlander lion. Beside I was going to be the leader. I'm very sorry I neglected you three, but I just couldn't. It's fine being second in command, but I will never be leader!" she hissed.

Ono looked a bit ashamed before he continued his talk. "It may sound odd, but Kiara was saved by Kovu and by his act he was accepted into the pride, we just didn't know he wanted to assassinate Simba, but Kiara flirted with him and they sort of bonded. But it was all a trap to lure Simba to his death. Luckily, Kovu turned on his family and saved Simba but he was still exiled. Zira Then attacked the pride with her own lionesses afterwards, but she hadn't expected that they would turn on her as well," said Ono. "I don't know what happened but what Kiara told them made them see differently."

"How did Zira react to that?" Fuli asked worriedly.

"Oh, she didn't take it that easy. She tried to ambush Simba but Kiara saved him. Zira and Kiara tumbled down near a cliff, and Zira fell down into it," said Ono.

"So, Zira is dead now?" Kion asked unsure.

"Yes. We think so. We haven't found her body but she should be pretty dead," said Ono. "But get this. I heard this morning Kiara and Kovu talk to Simba. They want you home. Now all this chaos is over, there is no need for you to stay out here."

"That means we can return home," Kion said happily. He gave Fuli an adoring look. "That means that you and Tasha will leave as soon as possible," Kion said and began pushing Fuli.

"Wow, wow, wow. Hold on, babe, you said I could be with you until I was close to labor," Fuli argued. "I still got two month or so left. Beside we have to follow the hyenas' home, that's the least we can do, before we are going as well."

Kion bid his lip. He wanted Fuli to return with Tasha so they were saved while he would wait here until it was settled, but he had promised Fuli to stay until the cubs would arrive. "Fine," Kion said in defeat. "Ono? Can you please tell them to hurry up at home?"

"Affirmative," the egret said as he flew off and towards the Pride Lands.

Fuli kissed Kion on the cheek.

"So, there is still hope left for us," she teased. "I'm not sure how the others are going to react when they see me."

"I will be joyful to watch their jaw drops when they spot the awaiting cubs" Kion teased and kissed Fuli on the forehead.

To be continued in The Lion King Ups and Downs: s/13418776/1/The-Lion-King-Ups-and-Downs


End file.
